The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul) has announced a plan to defrock Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan. In a statement published on its official website, the Patriarchate says they are now preparing for the new religious leader’s election, Tert.am reports.
Mutafyan has not been the Armenian community's de-facto patriarch since falling into coma in 2008. Archbishop Aram Ateshian, who was elected by the state (instead of the community), has been fulfilling his functions ever since.